Dinner and flashbacks
“That looks terrible. I’m not eating that,” Iris commented, grimacing at the burnt dish. “Oh, come on, it’s just slightly overcooked,” Steve retorted, grabbing a fork and digging into what was supposed to be lasagna but looked more like a failed attempt at incineration. “Maybe we should order something else. How about Chinese?” Steve suggested. “Yes, please,” she responded, reaching for her phone. They both burst out laughing.
Two weeks had flown by, and no one questioned Iris’s extended stay. She was grateful, as she didn’t quite know how to explain her situation. After her first night with Steve, the days blurred together. The Avengers had split up, some leaving for personal matters while others stayed at the compound. Natasha and Wanda had gone on a girls’ trip to the mountains and were due to return that day. Sam had visited his sister, accompanied by Bucky. Bruce and Tony were the only ones, besides Iris and Steve, who stayed at the compound.
“Did someone just mention Chinese food?” Nat and Wanda entered the room, setting their bags on the ground. Their arrival causing a ripple of excitement in Iris’ eyes.
“Welcome back!” she greeted them warmly, her smile evident “I’m about to order food. Chinese okay?”
“Sounds perfect,” Nat chimed as Wanda nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll order for four then,” her attention reverting back to her phone to finalize the order.
“Make it six,” a deep, familiar male voice interjected. Iris stilled, a shiver running down her spine as Bucky’s voice filled the room.
“You’re back,” Steve’s warm voice broke the brief silence that had fallen over the room. He walked over to greet Bucky and Sam with a solid, brotherly hug. Iris’s gaze remained glued to her phone screen, her fingers rapidly tapping to adjust the order. Steve, moments later, came to stand beside her, his hand casually resting on her shoulder.
“It’ll be here in twenty,” she finally announced, looking up from her phone to meet the eyes of everyone in the room.
“Perfect,” Steve responded, as he leaned in, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. A silence fell over the room as everyone looked on, their expressions ranging from surprise to amusement.
“Sooo keeping yourself busy Cap” Sam’s voice broke the silence in a playful undertone as he made his way towards Steve and Iris, a knowing-all smile playing on his lips.
He patted Steve on the back, “Two weeks at the compound without saving the world.” He chuckled, “I don’t know how you put up with him, Iris.” His gaze shifted between the two of them, an eyebrow raised sarcastically.
“I bet it’s been a real hardship,” she giggled “I think his ego went down a bit”
Sam’s laughter filled the room, a few laughs from the others as well. Expect for one. Iris
blushed slightly, her gaze dropping to her phone, while Steve simply rolled his eyes, a soft smile tugging at his lips. Regardless of the teasing, it was evident that their time alone together had indeed led to something.
Dinner was pleasant. Tony and Bruce joined them after dinner when they all gathered in the living room. Nat and Wanda were sitting with their legs crossed on the carpet, while Tony and Bruce occupied the three-space sofa. Iris took a seat on the other sofa, shortly followed by Steve. Bucky didn’t hesitate to distance himself from her, sitting on the opposite sofa, which left Sam sitting next to Iris. Everyone was chatting, and she felt Steve laughing beside her, his hand still on her leg. Wanda was also laughing, probably at something Tony was saying. Meanwhile, Nat was sitting on the armrest near Bruce, and they were shyly giggling, as if the rest of the room didn’t exist. Everything felt calm, and she dared to say that everyone was happy. The room felt like what a home is supposed to be. She knew they had all had their fights with each other over the years, almost killing each other more than once, but here they were, gossiping and laughing at each other as if they weren’t the ones the world relied on for saving.
Just as Iris was beginning to relax into the comfortable atmosphere, her gaze landed on the figure sitting across from her. Bucky. The supersoldier’s cold, piercing eyes met hers, locking her in. His expression was unreadable, his eyes inquisitive. The moment their eyes locked, her body froze and she felt as if the air had been suddenly sucked out of the room. Every sound seemed to fade into the background as she found herself trapped in his gaze.
Steve noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere. His laughter died down as he felt Iris stiffen beside him. His bright blue eyes followed her line of sight to Bucky. His arm, which had been resting casually on Iris’s leg, tightened around her, pulling her closer to him. His posture stiffened subtly as he turned to face Bucky.
“Is everything alright, Buck?” Sam intervened to avoid whatever was going on in that mind.
[Flashback]
The stitches in her left leg were gone, and she was bleeding, way too much. She couldn’t fight like this. Both her gun and her knives, except one, were in HYDRA’s truck, and no one in their right mind would go back for them. Running was the only option. She had to run like hell was rising behind me, like the devil was trying to catch her. He was. She started running, making her way through the conifers and birches, leaving an inevitable trail of blood for the Winter Soldier to follow. The pain was excruciating, tears filled her eyes, and her vision grew blurrier. HYDRA had held her hostage in a decrepit cabin with little to no food for nearly five days. She was weak, far too weak to run, but this was better than being transferred to the main base in Siberia. She had been running from HYDRA for almost two years, and she knew what awaited me if they captured me alive. She stopped for a moment, the silence was too strange. As she turned around, the air was snatched from her as a kick struck her abdomen, and her body was thrown to the ground. Before she could open her eyes, the Winter Soldier was on top of her, his leg pressing against her neck. She had a chance only if he lowered his guard, so she played unconscious. After a solid minute, she felt the pressure lighter. In a fraction of a second, she rolled away and managed to grab his fist before it connected with her face, her free hand stabbing him in the shoulder. It was a futile attempt. “It’s the third time in a year you’ve stabbed me,” he grunted near her face as he held her mid-air with his metal arm. She tried one last time to wriggle herself away from his grip, but a surge of pain coursed through her body, and a loud scream escaped her lips. Two of his fingers were pushing into the bullet wound on her leg. “If I push harder, you’ll probably pass out from the pain in 20 seconds, making it easier for me to end your life,” his lips brushed the side of her face, now dirty with tears, snow, and blood. “Do it,” she whispered pathetically, filled with fear, anger, and pain. Their eyes locked for what felt like the first time. Their bodies hadn’t been this close in a long time. And then she felt his arm leaving her neck as a syringe entered her right arm. But their story traced back to two years ago when she slipped into the role of a waitress in a bar he frequented, a bar where he used to drink in excess, even though he couldn’t get drunk.
She had a mission to accomplish, a mission that required her to get close to him. The bar was a known haunt of HYDRA operatives, and she was undercover, gathering information while serving drinks and wiping tables. Every night, she observed him, studied him.
Then, one night, the stars aligned in her favor. She sensed a thinning in the usually impenetrable shield of HYDRA’s influence over him. Seizing the rare opportunity, she pushed past his defenses. They spent the entire night on the rooftop of the bar, he felt almost human. They didn’t talk much, he didn’t know what to talk about, so he just listened to her. He listened all night to her talking about the world he wasn’t allowed to see, about movies, music and the books she liked. For the first time in ages he felt weird, he felt like he had memories he couldn’t grasp. For the first time in ages, he was next to someone who didn’t give him orders or just pieced together his metal arm after a mission. That night with her it was the first time he understood something was wrong with him, with everything, that maybe, just maybe, he was more than just a bloody weapon. Something was stirring within him: hope.
That hope was burned to the ground the next day when he found out by his commander that she was ‘White Fox,’ and everything went south. He hated her, he started to hate her so much. After that, there were only two years of running and fighting.
[Present Day]
A heavy sigh escaped Bucky’s lips, his mind racing “Iris,” he started “just exactly how long are you planning on staying here?” The question hung in the air.
The moment Bucky’s words filled the room, a ripple of discomfort washed over her. She had been avoiding this conversation, she didn’t want to face leaving this place, not yet.
Noticing Iris’s discomfort, Steve’s voice, warm and reassuring, filled the room, “You don’t have to make that decision now, Iris. You’re more than welcome to stay here as long as you need. We all believe you did great during the mission, and we wouldn’t mind having you around.”
Wanda, who had been quietly observing the exchange, chimed in, her voice softer “Yeah, Iris, you are free to stay here as long as you want, until you figure out your next step. It’s nice to have another female friend around,”
The conversation gradually shifted, but the question, and its implications, remained, a silent spectre casting a long shadow over the room.